Soul
The soul is the immaterial part of a being, which in many belief systems is held to live on after death. Mutants, like Fobbles, have sought to uncover the nature of the soul, particularly its role in mutantry. Overview The soul is the sense of self of the individual, residing inside the materialistic body. It serves as the memory, awareness, and individuality mindset. It is supposed to remain intact and unharmed, as ripping it is considered a violation of the laws of nature. The human body relies on the soul to have their own unique mindsets. That is to say, if the human dies, the soul would be able to move on beyond the Veil or return as a ghost. This seems different for the "main" portion of the soul that remains within the body, as it serves as the sense of awareness and psyche for the person, meaning that only one portion can maintain such full attributes despite multiple pieces, and this piece can retain existence. A single body usually cannot host more than one sentient soul without taking a heavy toll, as many animal hosts to Mr. Stupid NoHead's fragmented soul had their lifespan drastically reduced, and Darren Slade, the only known human host, had to milk snake venom to sustain his own body's ailing health. This may be inapplicable to an unintentional soul fragment, such as Nagatha showing no side effects from housing her master's soul, and even possess a powerful telepathic bond with him. A Taboo implants a secret, possibly amid other things, into a person's very soul, which would give the secret the highest level of security, unless the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it. Seduction and torture cannot force the secret out of the Keeper, as it must be done so voluntarily. Damage to souls Partial removal Certain "experiments" with the Darkness can rip the soul from the body, keeping it intact should its body be destroyed. The body can be reincarnated by the soul, but other ingredients are required. A soul that has been torn apart from the body will of course become lesser in substance. This is shown to cause the soul to experience some form of mental and physical regression. In extreme cases, this regression can be so severe that the individual's soul essentially becomes sub-human and remains on Kolob, the neighboring star to Heaven, unable to leave and unable to become a ghost. In some rare cases, however, the soul is not necessarily damaged by such a process, such was the case of Mr. Ghastly NoHead. The ghost still had some degree of strength, as Mr. Stupid NoHead tried to pierce through Jonathan and the boy was later murdered by Hell Burnbottom's death beams. Ghosts A ghost is the imprint of the soul of a mutant who chooses to linger in the world of the living after death. It is unknown if Fobbles can do this too. According to Rotta Hecks, few people actually choose this fate, because it means they will never move beyond the Veil, as most do. This cannot be achieved if the soul is damaged or completely removed. The Orb of Power is capable of summoning the souls of the deceased back to the world of living, as more than ghosts but less than bodies. Behind the scenes The soul has been portrayed in several manners that are never mentioned in the graphic novelizations. Appearances * * * * * * * * * * * * * Sources * (mentioned only) Notes and references See also * Death * Ghost External links * Category:Afterlife